normal for growth to slow down at 9 months?

I wasn't concerned about ds weight gain, until today. I still bf about 4-5 times a day and twice in motn. He was 8lbs 8 oz at birth, had some weight loss and latch issues but figured everything out and became a super gainer...chunk butt! He doubled birth weight by 4 months and at 6 months he was 18lbs 10 oz. today at 9 month appnt he was 20 lbs 11 oz. I thought that was a good weight gain as he's eating solids now, teething so sometimes not eating, and figuring out finger foods. But the doc is concerned that he has slowed down on the growth curve and wants him back for a weight check in 6 weeks. Am I wrong or isn't it normal for bf babies growth to slow after 6 months. Should I be concerned, I do not want to supplement as I plan to bf until at least 18 months! Are there foods I can eat to help with my milk production, supplements for me, could it be my milk supply isn't as fatty? Open to suggestions and would love reassurance that doc is just being overly cautious.

Comments (9)

Babies definitely slow in their rate of growth around 6 months and then again when they become mobile (most between 6 and 12 months). But, the growth curves reflect this, so if your LO is dropping in percentile a good bit, then it seems reasonable for your pedi to check again sooner than 3 months. My pedi told me at the first visit that if she ever goes down more than 15 percentile points at any visit from the last, then he'll have her come in for checks more often.

Checking at the midpoint and not in a couple weeks makes me think that it's based on a standard practice like the one in my pedi's office, and not actual concern yet. Just keeping tabs in case there's something else going on. That's a GOOD thing from your pediatrician. But, still not cause for any alarm or change in your habits.

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Katie (35) and DH (35), friends since 1991, married 2009, DD born 2/16/12, DS born 1/31/14

Thank you, the nurse is the one who told me to come back so I couldn't ask doc and it's a new pedi so still figuring things out with how they do things here, it's a little different than my first pedi, only changed cause we moved. He did go from about the 75th to the 55th, so I guess that makes sense. It's just I have been worried about my supply and I never know (never have known) how much milk he is taking in, he's never done a bottle, do it's been guesswork based on weight gain that my milk supply is good. I try to pump, but don't really get much. Anyway, that makes sense with the percentile dropping, we shall see in 6 weeks I guess.

Don't rely on the pump to determine your supply. They do not pull milk like your lo can. Be sure they are using the WHO chart if they insist on charting. Diaper count and milestones are more important than chart positioning.

My DD was 7#5oz at birth, 18.5# at 6mos and 19# 4oz at 9mos- so she only gained 12oz in 3mos. our Dr wasn't concerned at all. In that time she started siting, crawling, and cruising.

It is pretty common for bf babies to gain a lot early on and then slow down. My DD was in the 85% at 6mos- they don't stay those same % their whole lives. At 9mos was 62% and at 12mos she weighed 20#12oz and was in the 45%- Dr still wasn't concerned.

My sons birth weight was 8lbs 7ozs. At 9mt check up he was 16. Doc said he was little but she didn't think anything was wrong. He dropped on the curve to 5%. He will 11 mts next week and he's prob only 18 lbs.

They are probably using the US chart, which is based on FF babies. BF babies have a more pronounced slowdown in growth in the 2nd half of the first year. Ask them to check your LO against the WHO chart instead.

Mine was born in the 75th %ile, quickly shot up to 90th, but by the end of the 1st yr had dropped down to 40th! She was still hitting all her milestones great, still gaining weight (just slower/less), and otherwise seemed to be thriving, and our ped was never worried. She is still doing great at 2 yrs and still BF. :-)